Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League Group E match at Anfield, Liverpool. (Nick Potts/PA Wire/PA Images)

Liverpool’s three-way suspension risk as they aim to overturn Atletico Madrid

Liverpool take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 tonight looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat, with Anfield a key factor they can draw upon.

Liverpool have never lost a two-legged European tie under Jurgen Klopp, winning all of the previous 10.

They have not lost a knockout phase tie in the Champions League since 2008/09 when Chelsea beat them in the quarter-finals.

The Reds have lost one of the last 30 at home in Europe and are unbeaten in the last 25 at Anfield.

Of the 25 they have won 18 with seven draws, failing to score only twice.

 

Odds on History

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, May 7, 2019: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson leads his team out before the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg match between Liverpool FC and FC Barcelona at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

In their illustrious European history the Reds have lost the away first leg of a knockout tie 1-0 on 14 occasions. They have progressed in nine of those.

One of the five they failed to win was against Atletico, going out on away goals in the Europa League in 2010.

They have played at Anfield in a second leg aiming to overcome a first-leg deficit of any score on 30 occasions and have won the tie 14 times.

In the knockout stages of the Champions League they have played twice at Anfield in the return having lost the away game 1-0.

In 2006 (the last time they defended the trophy) they were beaten 2-0 by Benfica (3-0 on aggregate).

A year later they beat Chelsea 1-0 on the night thanks to Daniel Agger’s goal and won the semi-final tie 4-1 on penalties.

 

Atletico in England

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Thursday, April 29, 2010: Liverpool's Javier Mascherano shakes hands with Club Atletico de Madrid's Sergio Aguero during the UEFA Europa League Semi-Final 2nd Leg match at Anfield. (Photo by: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

They have won 10 of 27 encounters with English clubs home and away, drawing 12 and losing five.

In finals they beat Chelsea in the 2012 Super Cup, Fulham 2-1 in the 2010 Europa League Final but in 1963 were beaten 5-1 by Tottenham in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

They have won eight of 10 two-legged knockout contests with English clubs, including each of the last four. Only Derby in 1974/75 and Bolton in 2007/08 (both in the UEFA Cup) have beaten them.

Atletico have lost four of their 13 visits to these shores as the away team and have drawn each of the last three in England 1-1. They have won twice—at Leicester in 1997 and at Chelsea in 2014.

Six of their seven draws in England have resulted in 1-1 scorelines.

They have conceded more than twice in a game in this country on one occasion—a 4-0 loss at Chelsea in 2009.

 

Suspension Risk

MADRID, SPAIN - Tuesday, February 18, 2020: Liverpool's Sadio Mané walks away as Club Atlético de Madrid players call for him to be sent off during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Club Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool FC at the Estadio Metropolitano. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Joe Gomez, Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson are all one yellow card away from missing the first leg of the quarter-final should the Reds progress.

 

Mo Loves Europe

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA - Tuesday, December 10, 2019: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the second goal during the final UEFA Champions League Group E match between FC Salzburg and Liverpool FC at the Red Bull Arena. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Mo Salah has scored 20 European goals for Liverpool (all in the Champions League), with Mane’s 18 goals also coming in this competition.

Roberto Firmino has scored all but one of his 16 goals in Europe for the club in the Champions League.

Salah is the club’s joint-third highest scorer in Europe, alongside Ian Rush (also 20). Steven Gerrard tops the list with 41, while Michael Owen has 22.

Salah’s 20 goals in this competition for Liverpool have come in just 34 appearances.

The Egyptian forward’s 12 Champions League goals at Anfield in just 15 appearances—only Steven Gerrard with 18 has more for the Reds, including in the European Cup.

 

Atletico’s Anomaly

MADRID, SPAIN - Tuesday, February 18, 2020: Club Atlético de Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg match between Club Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool FC at the Estadio Metropolitano. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

In all games as the away team this season Simeone’s men have won four of 17 fixtures and only once in the last 13. They have found the net a total of 15 times in that sequence.

Home and away Atletico have won three of their last 11 fixtures in all competitions.

Since the first leg they have beaten Villarreal 3-1 and drawn 2-2 with Sevilla at home either side of a 1-1 draw at Espanyol.

Their only clean sheet in the last five outings came in the first leg, while they have failed to score in 11 of their 37 matches this season.

On an opponents ground Atletico have not won in five games—with two draws and three defeats—since a 2-1 victory at Real Betis on December 22.

 

Tonight’s Referee

The referee for this game is Danny Makkelie (Netherlands).

He has taken charge of both teams in the group stage this season—Atletico’s 2-2 home draw with Juventus and the Reds’ 2-0 victory at Salzburg.

 

This Season’s Scorers

GENK, BELGIUM - Wednesday, October 23, 2019: Liverpool's Sadio Mané (L) celebrates scoring the third goal with team-mate Roberto Firmino during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between KRC Genk and Liverpool FC at the KRC Genk Arena. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool: Salah 20, Mane 18, Firmino 10, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7, Origi 5, own goals 5, Milner 4, Van Dijk 4, Wijnaldum 4, Henderson 3, Keita 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Jones 2, Matip 2, Robertson 2, Fabinho 1, Hoever 1, Lallana 1, Lovren 1, Shaqiri 1

Atletico Madrid: Morata 11, Correa 7, Felix 6, Saul 4, Koke 3, Thomas 3, Costa 2, Felipe 2, Vitolo 2, Herrera 1, Llorente 1, Savic 1, Renan Lodi 1


Statistics courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).